CEO Tina Zerbian Honored
CEO Tina Zerbian Honored
Connecting Communities in Action CEO Named Woman of Distinction
Forty-three years ago, Tina Zerbian began working at Connecting Communities in Action as the first coordinator of the non-profit organization’s very first domestic violence service in Cattaraugus County. “Back then, we had a grant for $10,500, which included my salary!” said Zerbian. With a total budget of less than $2 million and around 30 employees, CCA’s programs were limited to just Cattaraugus County in the early 1980s. Today, the organization has grown significantly, as new programs, services and sites reach individuals and families throughout five counties in western New York. However, one thing remains constant, and that is the leadership of Zerbian, who has served as CEO since 1984 and is this year’s recipient of the New York State Senate “Woman of Distinction” award for the 57th Senate District.
“Every day Tina contributes to the well-being of our community. Her care and concern for others is amazing. She is the embodiment of ‘service before self’,” Sen. George M. Borrello stated in his press release announcing the award. “Because of her compassion-driven leadership, CCA is recognized across New York and the country for innovation and results in the human service world.”
The award was established in 1998 and pays tribute to women who have demonstrated remarkable character, initiative and commitment in serving their neighbors, strengthening communities and acting as role models. Zerbian, who lives in Ellicottville with her husband, Tom, was thrilled when she learned she’d been selected.
“CCA has always had a good working relationship with Sen. Borrello’s office,” she said. “I was quite surprised when he called my cell phone one weekend in April and told me he was going to give me this award!” As Zerbian was unable to attend the May awards ceremony in Albany, Sen. Borrello is hosting a reception in her honor on Thursday, September 28th at 6:00pm at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ellicottville.
Those who know Zerbian and the incredible impact of her work at CCA say that few people are more deserving of this honor. CCA Board President Donald A. Jones, who has worked with her since 2008, said in a recent press release, “I can tell you her leadership, vision and passion is second to none. I know that the vulnerable people in our communities are provided much needed services from all Tina has done professionally over all these years.”
While domestic violence services are still a core program of CCA, as they were when Zerbian first began in the early 1980s, several more programs have been formed. These include a nutrition program, energy and housing services, and a fatherhood program, which is designed to help local fathers, including those who are in jail, become better parents through one-on-one and group work. School-based programs to assist at-risk students and address truancy are provided in the Olean and Portville school districts.
“Domestic violence is one of our largest single programs, and we provide services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, or any crime throughout a two-county area,” said Zerbian. “We added a high-risk team, which is relatively new. We also have new housing opportunities for victims of domestic violence. We have 14 new units of permanent housing coming in Olean. We also have a 24-hour victim services hotline.”
Under Zerbian’s leadership, CCA continued to provide services during the pandemic and never shut down at any point. “We were able to pivot and offer services virtually where possible,” she explained. “Our programs that are school-based were able to take place in homes or outdoors. During Covid, new funding was available; for example, we’ve had a soup kitchen and a food pantry network for a number of years. During Covid, we couldn’t hold congregate dining, so we provided to-go meals. For people who were quarantined, we had a project where we could deliver to homes.”
While CCA offers many programs, Zerbian emphasizes the importance of partnering with other local organizations to meet as many needs as possible. “As many services as we provide, we certainly don’t provide all the services needed,” she pointed out. “We partner with local mental health organizations, substance abuse treatment programs, social services and other groups that provide homeless services. We rely heavily on our partners.”
One of those partners is Sen. Borrello’s office. “We would not be able to do the work that we do as smoothly and efficiently without his office,” said Zerbian. “I hope this relationship continues long after I retire.” Speaking of retirement, Zerbian is eyeing next year and is in the process of preparing the other leaders in the organization. “If you talk to people who know me, you’ll hear I don’t sit still very well,” she laughed. “I do hope there will be other opportunities for me to contribute to the community.”
To learn more about CCA and their services, visit www.ccaction.org.